And he doesn't seem happy. Plus, if it hasn't been mentioned, 11:21 a.m. starting time for Vandy. copypasta al.com
AUBURN, Alabama -- Philip Lutzenkirchen's never been in this situation before, not that he can remember.
Back against the wall after a 1-4 start, Auburn has to find a way to turn the season around.
"I'm learning a lot about myself, learning a lot about my teammates as we deal with this and learning a lot about who's leaders, who's going to step up, and who's going to fall out," Lutzenkirchen said. "That's the point where we're at. People are either going to have an attitude and give up, or people are going to continue to fight."
Auburn held a team meeting on Sunday, and the seniors issued an ultimatum to the rest of the Tigers. "We made it pretty clear today," Lutzenkirchen said. "If you're not going to fight with us, we don't want you out there at all."
Auburn's offense is searching for an identity after turning the ball over five times, allowing eight sacks and failing to win the line of scrimmage against Arkansas. Lutzenkirchen believes the Tigers have to go back to the basics.
"We've shown that we can run the ball, and we've shown that we can be physical," Lutzenkirchen said. "Yesterday, we didn't have that physicality." Auburn picked up 321 yards and repeatedly drove into Arkansas territory before a sack or turnover killed any momentum the Tigers had built.
"I think we had good rhythm, it's just one guy makes a mistake and costs us the drive," Lutzenkirchen said. "We've got to quit shooting ourselves in the foot." No matter what problems Auburn has had in this season's 1-4 start, Lutzenkirchen says the seniors are ready to scratch and claw, and the rest of the team has to follow.
"I think we have a good idea who's going to fight," Lutzenkirchen said, "and who's not."